Your Green Review

What does ‘Green’ mean to your company and how does reducing your ecological impact translate into cost savings, a stronger public image and improving the Triple Bottom Line (People, Planet, Profit)?  Do you go for the low hanging fruit, printing on both sides and investing in inexpensive power strips, or do you dive headlong into complex environmental management systems (EMS) to gain certifications like ISO 14001?  These are just a few of the questions you, as a small to mid-sized company,  may be asking as it becomes more and more evident that the Green Movement is playing a larger role in business as a whole.

Who?

Any business can ‘Go Green’- and do it without breaking the bank.  Currently, there is no single, comprehensive standard for ‘Going Green’ and, aside from complying with environmental regulations, the scope of any given sustainability program varies from company to company and may include anything from recycling to remanufacturing.  In addition, companies of any size can incorporate conservation methods, waste management etc., into their day-to-day operations and begin reaping the benefits of a leaner, Greener business.  Most important is understanding where you are now and where you hope to be later, then addressing those gaps (something we’ll take a closer look at in an upcoming article).

Why?

When looking into sustainable development it is important to first ask what your company hopes to accomplish by ‘Going Green’.  Is your primary goal, for example, financial improvement, strengthening your brand or to become a better steward of the environment?  While goals may overlap, a company that fails to define the primary purpose of implementing an environmental policy is more likely to flounder in its attempts to achieve meaningful change.

What?

Secondly, you must identify what sustainable development means to your company.  Does it mean having the least possible impact on the environment?  Does it mean becoming an active proponent of environmental awareness and responsibility within your community?  Does it mean reducing cost and increasing efficiency in order to improve the bottom line?  However you spell it out, a clear definition will not only help you set goals but meet them by acting as a reference point for all associated actions.

How?

And lastly, establishing (or estimating) the scope of your program will aid in determining your next step towards sustainable planning.  Will you integrate Green measures into every aspect of your business operations or take practical steps to simply use less?  Mapping out energy and waste ‘hot spots’ or identifying areas of improvement should provide some insight into answering this question.

How Much?

The answers to all three of these questions will help you to identify whether attempting to get your company operations up to par for third-party certification is an appropriate target or if an internal program, tailored to your business’s overall goals and capabilities, is more up your alley.  Of course there are other factors (like cost) that may need to be taken into consideration but these points should provide a good starting place.

Walk The Talk:

No matter what your decision, reducing your business’s various ‘footprints’ is never a bad thing-as long as all claimed actions/programs are actual and transparent.  That last part is so important, in fact, it ought to be repeated: as long as all claimed actions/programs are actual and transparent.  Simply put, you must walk the talk consistently.